


high and mighty, that's my way (to justify all my mistakes)

by darlingargents



Series: Snaibsel Week 2016 [2]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hunter/Witch, Alternate Universe - Witches, Discrimination, F/F, Forbidden Love, Implied Sexual Content, Secret Relationship, Snaibsel Week 2016, i know literally nothing about muskets but i tried, it's sometime in the past and there are witches but also electricity, listen i have literally no idea what this setting or time period is, mostly a happy ending, there is a death but it's not zatanna or artemis, very minor birdflash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-02
Updated: 2016-11-02
Packaged: 2018-08-28 13:58:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8448862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darlingargents/pseuds/darlingargents
Summary: It was all she knew. It was all she’d ever been trained to do. The arrow was aimed at the witch’s heart, and in seconds, her life would end. Artemis didn’t regret it. She didn’t.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Snaibsel Week. Day 3: Hunter/Witch. This is, uh, a lot longer than I thought it'd be while planning it, so enjoy? I guess. Title from Witches by Sir Sly.
> 
> **ETA July 27, 2018** : audikatia on tumblr made a _fantastic_ edit for this fic, and you can view it [here](http://audikatia.tumblr.com/post/176350912612/snaibsel-appreciation-aesthetic-1-aesthetic) (extra link: [here](http://queerbycrs.tumblr.com/post/176362964071/audikatia-snaibsel-appreciation-aesthetic-1) on my blog)

Snowflakes fell gently from the sky as Artemis waited at the top of a tree. It was nearly dusk, and the last of the sunlight was slowly vanishing, the light against the snow fading into darkness. In the distance, Artemis could see her hometown, lights glowing in windows and people moving about. The fence surrounding the town was close to her, but still fairly far; she wasn’t close to town, not this time.

She spared a moment to worry about the townspeople — full moon nights were dangerous, and it was the dead of winter — but forced down the thought. There was no need. That was the reason she was here, after all.

The town was small, and isolated, but the townspeople could take care of themselves, and they had their protectors — the hunters, a small group of trained warriors who protected them from danger. Artemis’s father had led the group since before Artemis was born, and Artemis always knew that she’d someday be one of them. She’d been trained since she could walk, her and her sister Jade. And now she was a hunter, and _good_ at it. It was what she’d been born to do.

Once, when they were little girls, Jade had crawled into Artemis’s bed and spoken to her in low whispers, telling her stories about witches and werewolves and the monsters in the woods. Artemis had been young, and she’d begun to cry from fear. Jade had run her fingers through the pale strands of Artemis’s hair, and leaned in close to whisper to her. “Don’t worry about the monsters.”

“Why not?” Artemis had asked. She’d stared up at Jade, but in the darkness, she could only see a thin strip of her sister’s face. Only a single beam of moonlight came through the window, and it hit Jade’s face, right over her dark eyes.

Jade had leaned down and kissed Artemis’s cheek, fierce and protective as she’d always been. “Because I’ll protect you. And dad will, and mom will, and the rest of the hunters. We’ll keep you safe.”

Artemis had wrapped her arms around Jade’s shoulder, and Jade had laid down, and they’d fallen asleep like kittens piled in a box. In the safety of her sister’s warmth, Artemis had been sure that nothing could ever hurt her again. And after that, she’d never cried over witches or werewolves again.

The memory was warm, and Artemis was so cold. She tucked her hands under her arms, and shivered a little. Puffs of steam curled into the air as she breathed, each breath harsh and loud in the bitter cold and silence. She sighed, shifted a little.

Sentry duty was not fun. Someone had to do it, but that didn’t make her feel much better. And it was full moon, too — higher risk for no reward. She’d asked for this life, she knew, and it was all she was good for — but that didn’t make her any less cold or any less bored out of her mind.

Sighing again, she settled down to wait out the night.

* * *

The sun was gone completely and the cold was all Artemis could feel.

The lamps that lit the way out of town, burning steadily through the dark, had turned on hours ago, and Artemis focused on the closest one, watching snowflakes drift past it. She knew she had little chance of seeing anyone in the darkness — clouds had covered the full moon within the last hour — but she couldn’t just leave, not until dawn, so she shifted again, trying to get comfortable.

A shadow moved in the forest, and Artemis blinked at it, reaching for her bow. Probably an animal, but they didn’t get out much on full moon nights. She’d heard the howl of a werewolf only an hour ago; the animals had heard it as well, and they all knew what it meant. Maybe they were smarter than humans; Artemis couldn’t help but think it was a little foolish of the town to send its hunters out on these dangerous nights.

Another movement, and a sound — crunching, like someone walking on snow. It was pretty quiet, but Artemis could hear it from in the tree, and no animal would be that loud. Artemis stood, limbs stiff and tingling from her prolonged stillness, and did a careful front-flip off the tree branch. She landed perfectly, with only the tiniest noise, and pulled out an arrow as she carefully followed the noise she’d heard.

She could see something, now — a shape, moving quickly. Long, dark hair. Her mind went to Jade and her mane of wild curls, but no — Jade was gone, raising her child somewhere far away from this town. Artemis had thought about going with her; on this cold and dark night, she’d had a brief moment of regret in her decision to stay. She’d had many other sleepless nights before, where she’d laid awake and wondered what would have happened if she’d gone with her sister.

But this was her home, and her duty.

The shape had stopped moving, and Artemis could hear it panting. A woman, she was fairly certain. And she seemed unarmed. Artemis lowered her bow, just a little.

“Hello?” she whispered, and the woman spun around as if she’d been shocked.

“ _Thgil_!” the woman said, and a bright flare of light appeared in between her and Artemis.

Artemis didn’t quite scream, but it was a close thing — she definitely made some sort of shrieking noise, jumping back and nocking her arrow within a second. The woman, now in the light, was young — maybe Artemis’s age, or even a little younger. She had black hair, fair skin, and the bluest eyes Artemis had ever seen, the light reflecting off them like flames in the dark.

And she was a witch.

They seemed to be at a standoff, Artemis pointing her bow at the witch, and the witch frozen in place with her hands up. The ball of light was pulsing, slightly, and Artemis glanced at it against her will. It didn’t hurt her eyes, somehow, and seemed almost warm and inviting despite its dark origins.

The witch didn’t move at all, and Artemis could see fear in her eyes. Something lurched, deep in her stomach — guilt. She shoved it down; this woman was a witch, a murderess, too dangerous to be left alive. And Artemis had to kill her. Her hands were steady as she moved the bow slightly, adjusting her aim away from the witch’s head.

It was all she knew. It was all she’d ever been trained to do. The arrow was aimed at the witch’s heart, and in seconds, her life would end. Artemis didn’t regret it. She didn’t.

“Help me,” the witch said, and Artemis started, her fingers almost loosening on the bow string and killing the witch right then. Artemis stared at the witch, and tried to ignore the note of — desperation? How could she be desperate? She was a witch — the world bent at her will. She could kill a man with a single word, burn Artemis’s village to the ground without moving an inch.

“Why should I?” asked Artemis, and she regretted it instantly, biting down on her cheek. She shouldn’t have spoken to the witch — she wasn’t a person, not really.

“Please,” said the witch, sounding terrified. She got down on her knees, clasped her hands together, and didn’t look at the bow or the arrow, keeping eye contact with Artemis. “My father — I have to find him—”

“Why should I help a _witch_?” asked Artemis, almost spitting the last word and pulling the bowstring tighter, causing the witch to flinch and unclasp her hands, holding them out to look like less of a threat. She could still see, in her mind’s eye, her mother’s prone body after the last time witches attacked their town. She remembered gathering her mother’s limp and frail body in her arms, and realizing how small she truly was. Her mother hadn’t died — not really — but every day after that had been a struggle. Witches had done that to her mother. Witches had destroyed her family. They deserved no sympathy from anyone, especially not her.

“I’ve never hurt anyone,” said the witch. “Not ever—”

“Why should I believe you?”

She shrugged, almost casually, despite the fear in her eyes. Artemis was close to impressed. “I don’t think you’ll kill me. I would appreciate a return of faith.”

“I _will_ kill you,” said Artemis, gesturing to the bow with a small movement of her head, “if you try to speak your magic again. Do you understand that, witch?”

The witch smiled, and Artemis was confused now, especially by the part of her brain noticing how pretty she was when she smiled. “I understand. I’m going to stand.” She didn’t move her hands as she got off her knees and raised herself to standing.

“Don’t move again,” said Artemis, and she nodded. Artemis bit the inside of her cheek, and glanced away from the witch, trying to clear her head. She needed to kill the witch — but. But.

She was only a girl, probably not much older than Artemis herself. And she hadn’t been hurting anyone. And there was something — something in her eyes, something that spoke of innocence. No witch was innocent, she knew — but this one. This one was young, and so beautiful—

Artemis didn’t let herself finish the thought.

“Why should I spare you?” she asked.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” said the witch. “I was just going to — to steal some food from your village on my way to find my father. I lost him somewhere and I don’t know where he is.” And she looked so lost, so sad, and Artemis felt her heart split inside her chest as she recalled how it felt to lose a family.

_Jade leaving for greater things with a child and a husband. Her mother, hit by magic and nearly killed. The darkness and rage in her father’s eyes as he struck the killing blow to the witch responsible for hurting his wife._

Artemis lowered her bow and pulled the arrow out of the string.

The witch’s eyes widened in shock. “Thank you — oh god, thank you—”

“Don’t thank me,” said Artemis. “Come with me.”

“What?” Artemis turned around, and the witch followed behind her, the light she’d conjured disappearing with a faint sucking sound. The sudden darkness was disorienting, and Artemis had to take a moment to adjust her vision to the faint light of the lamp ahead of her on the pathway. “Where?”

“You won’t survive out here,” said Artemis. “Not for long, not alone. I have a family barn where you can sleep, and some food. You can leave once this winter storm has passed.”

“The storm? It’s not that bad—”

“I’ve seen men die in lesser weather,” said Artemis coldly, and the witch didn’t reply. Artemis glanced to the side, to look at her, and felt a faint flutter of irritation at the lack of light. “It’ll only be for a couple of weeks at most, don’t worry.”

The witch laughed, low and bitter, and though it wasn’t a happy or joyful laugh at all, Artemis felt warmth blossoming inside her chest at the sound. She forced it down as the witch spoke. “Alright. Lead the way, hunter.”

They were on the road now; Artemis turned them so they were going in the direction of the town, and they’d been walking for a few minutes before she spoke again. “Artemis.”

The witch glanced at her, brows raised, her face just barely visible in the light of the lamps. “What?”

“My name is Artemis.”

The witch nodded, and looked away. “I’m Zatanna.”

It was exactly the sort of name she would have expected for a witch, and Artemis half-smiled. “Alright.”

They continued in silence as the dawn began to break, somewhere behind them.

* * *

It was nearly light out when they got to the village gate. The sentry knew who Artemis was, and didn’t question why she was home so early, just opened the gate to let her and Zatanna in. He didn’t ask who the other girl was, and Artemis was grateful — she had a cover story, but would rather not use it.

Artemis’s home was near the middle of town, a large property, and Artemis slipped through alleyways to get in the back way, Zatanna following her silently. The snow was coming down heavier as Artemis pushed open the back gate and led Zatanna to the barn.

The barn was empty inside, except for bales of hay and empty horse stalls. They kept their horses in the other barn — this one was out of use. Zatanna looked around, shivering, as Artemis made up the spare bed in the loft and jumped back down to ground level.

“The bed is up there. I can bring some food if you’re hungry?”

Zatanna nodded. “I—yes, thank you. Food would be — it would be good.”

Artemis noticed, suddenly, how thin Zatanna was, her bones visible under her skin. Her stomach dropped as she realized how hungry — _starved_ — the witch was. “I’ll bring some. Stay in here — no one will come in. I’ll be back.” She left in a hurry, feeling Zatanna’s eyes on her as she closed the barn door behind her.

No one noticed when Artemis slipped in the back door of the main house — everyone was still asleep, she was pretty sure. Normally, Artemis would strip out of the clothes she wore while working sentry duty and then fall into bed for the rest of the day, but today, she just peeled off her soaked outer layers and pulled a jacket on over top of the rest of her uniform before going to the kitchen and gathering food: a loaf of bread, some cold meat, apples, carrots, and a large glass bottle of water. She put everything into a bag before going back out to the barn.

Zatanna was still there, sitting on a hay bale and gazing up at a window through which light poured into the barn, and didn’t look over as Artemis closed the door behind her. “I brought some food. I, uh, have to go back and sleep, if you’re okay?”

Zatanna glanced over at her and stood, taking the bag. “I’m fine. Thank you, Artemis,” she said softly, and Artemis’s heart skipped a beat at the vulnerability in the other girl’s words. Or maybe it was just the way her name sounded on the other girl’s lips. She heard her own name every day, but this was… different.

“No problem,” said Artemis after a long moment. “I’ll be back later.” Zatanna nodded through a mouthful of bread, and Artemis smiled weakly before heading back out the way she’d come in.

Back in her room, Artemis stripped off her snow-dampened clothes and pulled on a loose nightgown before crawling into bed. It was almost fully light out now, and her curtains didn’t block out all the sun; she flung an arm over her eyes and tried to sleep. Usually, it wasn’t difficult after sentry duty — she could ignore the light since she was so exhausted. But today, her mind was spinning in every direction, analyzing everything she’d done since Zatanna had revealed herself to be a witch. Questioning if she’d done the right thing.

Artemis groaned and rolled over in her bed. It was all so _complicated_. Part of her wished she’d just shot Zatanna through the heart as soon as she’d revealed herself as a witch. She would be lauded as a hero, and her first kill would earn her a medal — and her father’s respect. He’d never truly respected her, not even when her skills as a hunter had surpassed all the others.

But the idea of killing Zatanna made her feel physically sick. It was what she’d been trained to do, it was what was right, but the idea of it made her stomach churn with horror and guilt. No, she couldn’t kill a girl her age. And Zatanna was just a girl.

_A witch._

Artemis screwed her eyes shut and forced herself into sleep.

* * *

Artemis woke up around noon, after maybe six hours of sleep. As soon as her eyes opened, the sick feeling of guilt and regret crashed into her again, briefly overwhelming her senses. She closed her eyes again, squeezed her hand into a fist, forced down the feeling.

It didn’t really work, but she’d tried, at least.

Artemis got ready for the day in possibly record time, eating her breakfast while pulling on her clothes. Her mother watched from the chair she used to get around the house.

“Why are you in such a rush, Artemis? Slow down.”

Artemis swallowed the mouthful of bread she was eating and grabbed her boots from by the door. “I have to meet Dick. We have hunter things to talk about.”

“Hmm.” Her mother took a sip of her tea as Artemis pulled on her boots and grabbed her bag, heading out the back way.

She couldn’t see Zatanna anywhere once she was in the barn, but she could see a shape on top of the makeshift bed in the loft. She climbed the ladder, as quietly as she could, and once she was up there, she moved a little closer to the bed. Zatanna was in it, still asleep.

For a moment she just watched the other girl, as she breathed in and out, a few strands of dark hair over her mouth fluttering a little with each exhale. In the light, she could see more of Zatanna’s face: her prominent cheekbones and delicate chin, the heart shape of her face. Something in Artemis’s chest tightened, and the feeling of _wanting_ grew so strong that she took a step back, digging her fingernails intoher arms.

_No, no, no, I can’t be feeling that, not for a_ witch _, a monster—_

Zatanna moved, blinking, and her blue eyes focused, growing clearer. “Artemis?”

Artemis felt herself blush bright red. “Y-yeah. Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you—”

“It’s fine.” Zatanna sat up and threw off the blankets. She’d slept in her clothes, except for her jacket — Artemis could see it discarded on the floor a few feet away. It must have been cold in the barn, she realized: the house was heated, but the barn wasn’t, and it had snowed all night. The realization caused an odd feeling of protectiveness in Artemis’s chest. “Thank you for the food. And the bed,” said Zatanna, and Artemis tried to focus on the words and not the traitorous thoughts invading her mind.

“It’s fine,” said Artemis, aware that she was echoing the other girl’s words but unable to think of anything else to say. She was too caught up in looking at Zatanna, entranced by the movements of her body.

Oh, no, this was _bad_.

She pulled out her bag and rifled around in it, keeping her eyes down. “I brought more food. Sorry I can’t just take you out of here, but the townspeople notice newcomers, and — well. We both know how that would turn out.”

Zatanna half-smiled. “Oh, yeah. It’s fine, anyway. I found a crate of old books in the back, and I’d been meaning to read some of them.”

“You _read_?” said Artemis before she could think better of it. Zatanna laughed, and the sound made warmth blossom in Artemis’s chest.

“Of course I do! Did you think all witches grew up in the forest, eating innocent villagers and learning spells instead of learning to read?”

That was actually a fairly accurate summary of some of the earliest lessons about witches that Artemis remembered from school. “Of course not, I just…”

“Don’t know many witches?” Zatanna arched a brow, and a startled laugh burst out of Artemis before she could stop it.

“I guess.” Artemis handed the bundle of food she’d snuck out to Zatanna, and slung the bag over her shoulder. “I have to go. I guess you’ll be okay?”

“Always am.” Zatanna grinned again. Artemis’s heart fluttered like a bird trapped in her chest.

* * *

Artemis’s story to her mother hadn’t, technically, been a lie. After sentry shifts, she met up with Dick to catch up on hunter gossip and start the day at a radically different time than the rest of the town. Dick always had the same shifts as she did — they’d asked for it almost as soon as he’d been deemed ready for active duty, and they’d gotten their request. It wasn’t a conflict of interest, since they weren’t working together, just at the same time. The primary purpose was, of course, their sort-of-morning meetings, but during the long nights in the winter, Artemis often took comfort in the fact that somewhere out there, Dick Grayson was also freezing his ass off in the snow.

Dick was her oldest friend, and Artemis couldn’t imagine her world without him. Even before they’d both joined the hunter program, they’d been close, and Artemis only trusted her immediate family more than him. Honestly, she trusted him more than her father — though that was close.

And despite the entire situation with Zatanna, despite the fact that she had every reason to be in a constant state of panic, she felt nothing but happiness when Dick spotted her coming into the cafe and his face lit up with joy. He stood and hugged her as she came over to him; she hugged back, and they both sat down.

Dick pushed a steaming latte across the wooden table to her. “You’re late,” he said as she took a long sip.

“Not that late,” she said once she’d swallowed her coffee. Dick just raised his eyebrows at her, and she groaned. “Of course. You were raised by the town’s best detective and I can’t _possibly_ lie to you.”

“Well, you said it, not me. What are you lying about?”

Artemis’s hands tightened on the coffee mug. _Shit_. She took another sip to avoid his question, but he just looked at her. “Nothing,” she tried.

He rolled his eyes and took a sip of his own coffee. “Right.”

“Really.” She didn’t break eye contact with him, and after a moment he looked away. That was one of the most important parts of their friendship, in Artemis’s opinion: both of them knew when to back off.

“How was your shift?” he asked instead. Artemis shrugged.

“Quiet.” An expression crossed his face too quickly for her to read it, and he just nodded.

“Mine too, until pretty close to dawn. Found a werewolf trying to get into one of the fields.”

Artemis’s throat suddenly constricted, and she tightened her hands on her mug to keep them from shaking. “Did it get in?”

“No.” Dick was studying her, eyebrows slightly furrowed. “Killed it.”

She nodded. “Good job. Second werewolf, right?”

“Yeah.” He looked away from her. “How’s your mom?”

“Fine.” Artemis put down her coffee and took a bite of the scone that lay on the table. It was probably Dick’s. She didn’t really care. “How’s your dad? How’s Wally?”

“Mayor Wayne is doing fine, thanks for asking. Wally is okay, I think. I haven’t seen him in a couple of days.”

Artemis blinked at him. Dick and his boyfriend had always seemed to be attached at the hip, and they were the closest and most affectionate couple she knew. She’d never heard anything about them taking a break, even for just a few days. “Are you guys okay?”

Dick shrugged, looking as though he was trying very hard not to betray how much he cared about the situation. “I think so. He’s just… having some school issues, and I’m always doing hunter things. It’s getting harder to make time.”

There was a slight tremor in his voice, which meant he was upset — Artemis knew his tells, even if he was a very good liar. She probably wouldn’t have even noticed the tremor if she hadn’t know him for so long. Artemis slid her hand across the table and rested it on top of his. “It’ll be fine, okay? You and Wally are the strongest couple I’ve ever known. You’ll work it out, I promise.”

Dick blinked, rapidly, and nodded. “Thanks, Artey.” He pulled his hand out from under hers and stood, moving around the table to hug her again. She hugged him back, his warmth solid and comforting in her arms.

When he pulled away, his expression was neutral. “Now, tell me what’s bothering you.”

Artemis sighed and pushed him away. He sat down as she twisted her fingers together, thinking. She couldn’t tell him. He’d been trained the same as her, and he was probably better, in his own way. She knew that if he’d seen Zatanna perform magic, he would have killed her — no thoughts, no regrets. But maybe… maybe be could see her side of it. He was smart. He had a way of seeing the whole picture and assessing a situation perfectly before acting, often within seconds. After all, he’d been trained by their town’s best detective-turned-hunter-turned-mayor.

But, of course, there was the possibility that he would turn her in for treason and Zatanna would die. Artemis couldn’t take that risk.

“Nothing.”

* * *

The snowstorm kept getting worse.

Artemis was very glad that she wasn’t scheduled for sentry duty by the next night. Outside the kitchen, where she was making her dinner, eddies of snow swirled past the window in streaks of white and gray. It wasn’t dark yet, but it was nearly sundown — probably. The sun was too covered by clouds to see.

“Artemis?” She glanced away from the snow to see her mother and father by the door.

“Yeah?”

“We’re heading into town and staying overnight at the town centre,” said her mother. Her father cut in.

“The Hunter leaders are worried that the creatures might take advantage of the snow to attack us. Don’t wait up. We’ll be back in the morning if the night goes well.”

Artemis nodded, and they left. Far off on the other side of the house, she could hear the front door open and close. She put down the salad bowl she’d been mixing, and considered her options for a long moment. But in the end, it was hardly a choice at all when she grabbed her jacket and boots.

* * *

Zatanna’s eyes were wide as she took in Artemis’s house. “Your family is rich, I’m guessing?” she said as Artemis gestured for her to sit down at the kitchen table.

“My dad leads the hunters. It’s a well-paying job.” Artemis swallowed past the sudden tightness in her throat as she resumed tossing the salad. She wondered if Zatanna would take a jab at her father’s job — after all, it involved hunting down and killing people like her.

But she didn’t say anything about it, just hummed slightly to indicate that she’d heard and continued studying a painting on the wall. Artemis finished the salad, grabbed the bread and a plate of steak, and laid out two plates before bringing over the food and serving them both.

“Dig in,” she said, and Zatanna ate quickly, still glancing around the room as she did so. Artemis was so familiar with her home’s architecture that she could rebuild it in her sleep, and it was oddly endearing to watch Zatanna take it all in the for first time. Her eyes widened when they landed on a delicately carved marble bust of a blindfolded woman.

“Justice?” she asked, pointing at it. Artemis shrugged.

“I think my mom just thought it was pretty,” she admitted, and Zatanna gave a snort of laughter.

“Right.” She didn’t say anything else as she ate and examined the room.

After Artemis cleared away their plates — and washed them and put them away, she wasn’t going to get caught like that — she led Zatanna to the living room, where a roaring fire blazed in the fireplace. Zatanna knelt down in front of it, sighing in contentment as Artemis took a seat on the couch. She felt almost cold, even though the room was warm — she just wasn’t as close to the fire as Zatanna was.

“You don’t have any servants,” said Zatanna, and Artemis forced her attention away from the shadow patterns the fire was forming on the wall.

“What? Oh, no, we don’t.”

“I noticed,” said Zatanna, with a pointed look of irritation. “I was wondering why.”

Artemis shrugged. “My dad doesn’t trust them.”

“That’s reasonable.”

Artemis snorted. “He doesn’t trust anyone. Not mom, definitely not me. I think he trusted Jade, but — well.”

“Jade?”

“My sister.”

Zatanna stood, moving around the coffee table to sit next to Artemis. She tucked her feet up under her and leaned against the couch, looking at Artemis directly. “Tell me about her.”

Artemis’s heart was fluttering, and she felt almost dizzy — the firelight and Zatanna’s proximity made it hard to think straight. She definitely wasn’t cold anymore. “I, uh. She’s older than me.”

“Mm-hmm.” Zatanna leaned closer to her, touching her arm, and Artemis felt as though a current of electricity was running through her veins from where Zatanna’s fingers had brushed her through a layer of cloth.

“She was a hunter,” said Artemis, trying to clear her head. “A good hunter — better than me. She could have been the leader — I think that was my dad’s plan, for her to take over when he retired.”

Zatanna made a soft noise of acknowledgement in her throat, moving her hand from Artemis’s forearm to her upper arm. “I guess that didn’t work?”

Artemis swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. All she could see was Zatanna, all she could feel were the fingers gently brushing her skin. She’d never imagined that she could feel like this from someone just touching her arm. “She — she got married. Fell in love, had a kid, and moved away.”

“That’s a shame,” said Zatanna, moving her hand to Artemis’s shoulder.

“Not to her, I guess,” said Artemis. Zatanna glanced at her, a question in her eyes as she moved her hand again, to Artemis’s clavicle. Artemis inhaled sharply, and tried to focus on her words, the story she was telling, and not the sparks of warmth running through her. “She fell in love. That was worth it, right?”

“I don’t know.” Zatanna leaned closer. Her knees were between Artemis’s legs, and Artemis had no idea how it had happened. Their faces were close, almost touching, and her hand was still on Artemis’s collarbone. “Was it?”

“ _Yes_ ,” said Artemis, and leaned in to kiss her.

Zatanna’s mouth was warm and open against hers, and the other girl pushed closer, exploring Artemis’s mouth. Artemis let her, barely able to respond; all she could feel was warmth and electricity and Zatanna and her senses were overwhelmed, overworked, her body as tense as a wire and thrumming with arousal. She pushed closer, moving Zatanna back a little, and kissed back harder; Zatanna whimpered in the back of her throat, a tiny sound that drove Artemis wild.

They broke apart after a seemingly infinite moment, and for a second all Artemis could do was stare. Zatanna’s mouth was red, her eyes wide and pupils blown out, and her hair was mussed — Artemis must have put her hands in there, but couldn’t remember, her only thought of Zatanna’s lips on hers.

She swallowed. “You know,” she said softly, “I have a bedroom.”

Zatanna leaned in to kiss her again, softer, and then pulled away and stood. Artemis took her hand and stood as well, and that was all the invitation she needed.

* * *

It was just before dawn when Artemis woke up. Zatanna was asleep next to her, dark hair spread across both of Artemis’s pillows. One of her hands rested on Artemis’s arm.

For a long moment, all Artemis could feel was warmth and bliss. It wasn’t her first time, but it almost felt like it — she’d never slept with anyone who could hold a candle to Zatanna. All she wanted was to wake Zatanna up and kiss her senseless.

But a crushing feeling of panic began to build in her chest, bringing shorter breaths. Artemis closed her eyes, trying to will herself into calm, but it wasn’t working. _Goddammit_ —

“Artemis?” Zatanna blinked at her, still half-asleep, and Artemis couldn’t respond, couldn’t think of anything but the last witch that had been caught in her town. Stoned to death, blood on the streets, the body thrown into the woods for the wolves to eat. “Artemis,” Zatanna repeated, sitting up a little and touching Artemis’s face. “Are you okay? Talk to me.”

Artemis closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing. “I’m — I’m okay,” she forced out after a long moment, blinking her eyes open again. “Fine. Are you—”

“Fine.” An almost giddy smile crossed Zatanna’s face. “Better than fine, actually. That was — that was nice. _Really_ nice.” Artemis felt herself blush, against her will, and Zatanna giggled, leaning in to kiss the side of Artemis’s face. She continued the kisses over Artemis’s cheek, temple, and forehead.

“You’re so _cute_ ,” Artemis said, and she wasn’t even sure _how_ she’d said it — she hadn’t planned to — but Zatanna smiled, and it was like the sun, and she couldn’t regret it, not even when Zatanna leaned in to kiss her lips again. Artemis kissed her back and let everything that wasn’t Zatanna slide out of her mind.

* * *

It was almost light out by the time Artemis managed to break away and lead Zatanna back to the barn, with the promise of making breakfast and bringing it to her. They’d kissed again before she’d left the barn, and again and again before she’d actually left, and Artemis was beginning to like it. She’d always liked it, of course — it was kissing, it was fun — but she was starting to enjoy it more than someone enjoyed the physical sensations of it.

She turned over the thought in her head as she made breakfast, and was so caught up in the mental puzzle that she didn’t notice a knock on the kitchen door until it opened. She turned with a short gasp to see Dick standing in the doorway, looking irritated.

“I was banging on the front door for ten minutes, Artemis. Did you forget about our weekend meeting?” He frowned at her, clearly irritated, and Artemis felt a rush of guilt. She really _had_ forgotten — she’d been preoccupied with getting Zatanna out of the house before her parents got home. And with other things involving Zatanna.

“Sorry. I’ve been kind of busy.”

Instead of the continued verbal abuse she’d been expecting, Dick grinned. “I can see that.” He gestured to his own neck in a vague sort of way, and Artemis reached up and touched her neck — _oh_. “You have a scarf, right?” Dick continued, and Artemis felt her face go red as he laughed.

“I’ll find something,” she mumbled, turning back to the pancakes.

“Right.” He sat down at the table. “So, who’s the lucky guy or gal?”

“No one you know,” she said, and winced. It was true, of course, but Dick wouldn’t have heard about any newcomers to town, and she knew that she couldn’t tell him about Zatanna — that was out of the question.

Luckily, he just seemed to accept it. “Fine. So are we doing the meeting?”

She nodded, wondering how she’d get Zatanna’s breakfast out to her. She’d make an excuse to leave, she figured. She turned off the stove and sat down with Dick.

“Hey, before we start: did you hear?” he asked as she pulled out her notebook and dug around her bag for a pencil. She knew she had one here, somewhere—

“Hear what?”

“About the witch they caught.”

Artemis’s head snapped up, and she tried desperately to school her face into a neutral expression. “A witch?”

Dick nodded earnestly. “An old man, in the north woods. He claims he meant no harm, that he got separated from his daughter and just wanted to get to the city.” Dick snorted, flipping open his own notebook. “Like a monster could care about its children. Anyway, they’re executing him tomorrow. Your dad is doing the honours.”

Artemis felt as if she’d been struck in the face. Her fingers were tight around her pencil, her body frozen. Her mind went back, to the night before last, in the woods and the snow. As she stared Zatanna down, a drawn arrow between them.

_I was just going to — to steal some food from your village on my way to find my father. I lost him somewhere and I don’t know where he is._

It couldn’t be, it couldn’t be—

Zatanna had been coming from the north when Artemis had found her.

“Artemis?” Dick sounded almost concerned now.

“What time is the execution?” she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

“Ten in the morning tomorrow,” said Dick, a question implied in his words. Artemis nodded.

“You know, I’m — I’m pretty busy today. Can we do this later?”

Dick blinked at her. In all the time they’d been doing this, they’d never rescheduled. She was sure he had questions, a lot of them — but she was equally confident that whatever he suspected, he wouldn’t go to anyone with his suspicions until they were confirmed. He was a better detective than that. She had time, she knew.

“Of course.” He gathered his things and stood. “See you — tomorrow? After the—”

“Tomorrow,” Artemis confirmed, cutting him off, and stood as well to follow him to the front door. “Bye.”

“Bye,” he said, and she closed the door before leaning against it and letting out a low groan.

_Fuck_.

* * *

“They have my _father_?”

Artemis winced at the shock and pain in Zatanna’s voice. “It seems that way.”

Zatanna began to pace, wringing her hands together and trembling like a leaf. “They caught — they caught him? How could they do that? He’s a good witch, better than me—”

“It doesn’t matter,” snapped Artemis, grabbing Zatanna’s arm to stop her pacing. “What matters is getting you out of here.”

Zatanna straightened her spine, looking straight up at Artemis. “No.”

“ _No_?”

“I have to see him.”

Artemis closed her eyes and ran one hand down her face. “He’s been captured and is awaiting execution. If you’re caught, you’ll face the same fate. And you need to _see_ him?”

“I have to.” Her eyes gleamed with surety, and Artemis let out a groan. It seemed, at this point, that she would consider almost anything for Zatanna. She didn’t want to think about what that meant. But her mind was still working, considering — would it work? Was it even possible?

“I… I need to think about it. Can I do that?”

Zatanna nodded. “Yeah. Just…” She grabbed Artemis’s hand, and squeezed it gently, looking at Artemis with pleading eyes. “Please.”

And Artemis looked back at her and wondered when she’d fallen in love.

“I’ll try.”

* * *

The next morning, Artemis let Zatanna dress in her clothes, including a scarf that she used to cover most of her face and hair. “Might as well hide any resemblance,” she said as she fixed a bit of the scarf that had gotten twisted.

“Good idea,” said Zatanna. She waited until Artemis was finished before she leaned in to kiss her, and Artemis leaned gratefully into the kiss. She needed it now, to calm her nerves. She was about to execute the most foolish plan of her entire life; she needed some comfort.

Zatanna pulled away a little, staying close to Artemis for a moment. “Are you ready?” Artemis nodded, and they left the barn together.

It was early in the morning, still half-dark, and too early for most people to be around. They made it to the hunter building without encountering anyone else, and Artemis led them in bleeding confidence and authority. She made for the door to the prison section, and was almost there before a voice stopped her.

“Where are you going, Artemis? And who is that?”

Artemis turned to see Barbara Gordon on duty as the secretary. She looked bored, twisting a lock of her red hair around a pencil, but she looked at Zatanna with some interest. Artemis approached the desk, trying for a winning smile. She didn’t know Barbara that well, but she was a close family friend of Dick’s, and she’d heard a lot second-hand.

“This is my cousin from out of town. She’s never seen a witch before, and she wanted to see this one.” Artemis leaned in and whispered, conspiratorial: “I’ve never seen one either — not alive, at least. Let us in, just this once?”

Babs glanced between her and the door a few times before sighing. “Sure.” She reached into a drawer in the desk and moved her hand around for a moment before withdrawing a key. “This’ll unlock his cell. Be back soon.”

“Thanks!” Artemis grinned at her gratefully and led Zatanna down into the prison area. It was mostly empty, except for one cell near the end. Inside, there was a man with dark hair and a moustache sitting in the corner of the cell.

“Dad!” said Zatanna, and she broke away from Artemis’s side to stand outside the cell, clutching the bars like a lifeline. The man lifted his head, and his eyes widened.

“Zatanna? What are you doing here?” His gaze went from her to Artemis. “Who is she?” He had a heavy accent that Artemis couldn’t place; she guessed that he had come from somewhere very far away.

Zatanna glanced at Artemis and then back at her father. “This is Artemis. She saved me.”

The man looked at Artemis, and the gratitude in his eyes was enough to make her reel back. “Thank you,” he said, sounding on the verge of tears, and Artemis blinked back the sudden pinpricks of moisture in her eyes.

“It’s — it’s nothing.”

“Nonetheless, thank you. Zatanna is my only daughter, and I am grateful to whoever protects her. I am Zatara. And you are?”

“Artemis. I’ll just… leave you guys to talk. ” She turned, moving a little ways away to let them have their reunion in private. She knew they couldn’t stay for long, but she hoped it was enough.

She stayed out of earshot, fiddling with the key that Barbara had given her. Zatanna and her father were talking, voices too low for Artemis to hear. She mentally counted the minutes until she’d deemed in long enough, and then turned back to face the cell.

“We have to go,” she said. Zatanna glanced up at her, wiping a hand across her eyes. “Unless you want to get caught.”

Zatanna nodded and stood — she’d sat down on the floor outside the cell at some point. Zatara, on the inside of the cage, stood as well and turned to face Artemis. “Protect my daughter,” he said, sounding almost pleading, and Artemis nodded.

“Come on,” she said to Zatanna, taking the other girl’s hand and pulling her along. Zatanna wrapped the scarf over the lower half of her face, and while it didn’t really hide that she’d been crying, it helped conceal it. And Barbara was too far away to notice when they passed through the lobby — not that she was looking, anyway. She was looking down at a book in her lap and didn’t move her gaze as Artemis and Zatanna crossed the room and went outside.

It was still lightly snowing, the sky just barely lightening. As they walked down the main street, Artemis saw the city hall and felt a lurch in her stomach — builders were working on the stage for Zatanna’s father’s execution. They were pulling the guillotine across the nearly-finished stage, now, and Artemis tried to steer them away, but Zatanna froze in place, her eyes locked to the glint of metal in the dim sunlight.

“We have to go,” said Artemis, and Zatanna shook her head. Artemis made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. “I need to get you back to the barn. All the hunters have to be here for the execution—”

Zatanna spun around and grabbed Artemis by the shoulders, holding them face to face. The scarf had slipped down, and Artemis could see the determined set of her mouth, the fire in her blue eyes. Something burned, deep in Artemis’s chest.

“Hide me here. I need to be here for him. He asked me — he asked me to ease his pain, since they’re limiting his magic.” Zatanna’s eyes were silvering, and a tear ran down her cheek. “I have to —I have to be here. He can’t be alone.” Her eyes filled completely with tears and she began fully sobbing, burying her head in Artemis’s shoulder. Artemis hesitantly reached up and wrapped her arms around the other girl’s back. She wasn’t good at comfort, but she had to try.

And she knew with all her heart that this was a bad idea. A terrible idea, even. Taking Zatanna to see her father in prison had been insane; hiding Zatanna somewhere close enough to his execution for her to cast a spell on him to ease the pain of his beheading was downright suicidal. If Artemis were smart, she’d say no and take Zatanna back to the barn without further ado.

But she wasn’t sure she knew how to say no to Zatanna.

“Okay.”

* * *

The niche in a neighbouring building to the city hall where Artemis had hidden Zatanna wasn’t really visible from where she was, but she couldn’t stop herself from glancing up at it again and again. Artemis stood on the ground in front of the stage, her formal hunter uniform stiff and uncomfortable, her arms by her sides. She wasn’t supposed to move too much, but the show hadn’t started yet; no one was paying attention to her, the crowd still gathering.

She glanced up at the clock tower on the other side of the square. Five minutes to ten.

Part of her expected the execution to start late, as official events often did, but of course it didn’t. At exactly ten, her father took to the stage, and the crowd fell silent, conversations dying out. He waited until it was quiet before speaking.

“It seems that the gods have blessed us this winter, for we have discovered a witch before he could do his evil will. We have him captured here.” Artemis couldn’t see the stage, but she heard and saw the crowd’s reaction, gasps and wide-eyed clamouring for a better look. There was a sound, like flesh hitting flesh, and Artemis flinched against her will as the crowd roared in delight. They were hungry for blood. A sick feeling settled in Artemis’s stomach — they were excited for the death of a man. It was disgusting. And worse, she would have agreed with them a week ago.

How quickly the world changed when you fell in love.

“Hunters!” Her father’s voice boomed out as Artemis and the rest of the hunters turned to face the stage. Artemis could see Zatara now. He was on his knees, blindfolded, and looking far more bruised than he’d been only a few hours ago. Nausea overtook Artemis, and it took all of her willpower to not wince again as he was dragged across the stage on his knees. She felt eyes on her, from her side, and she glanced to her right to see Dick frowning at her. She tried desperately for neutrality as she looked back at him silently, and after a moment he glanced away again, a frown still on his face.

Zatara was next to the guillotine now, and one of the hunters on the stage forced his head down onto the block, tying him down. He was stiff with pain and fear, but as Artemis watched, he seemed to relax just a little. Artemis didn’t allow herself to respond outwardly, but inside, she was smiling; Zatanna had done what she intended to. Zatara’s death would not be painful.

That was the best they could have in this situation.

Artemis’s father spoke a few more words, which Artemis tuned out, and then stepped away. And then it was waiting, as they adjust the guillotine, one of the hunters running a whetstone along the sharp edge. Zatara flinched at that; even with how far under Zatanna likely had him, that couldn’t be a comforting noise to hear in his position.

And then it was happening. The crowd chanted down from ten, and as they hit two, Artemis closed her eyes. She didn’t see it, but still heard the sound of the blade falling, the _snick_ as his head disconnected from his body, and the wet thud as it hit the floor of the hay-covered stage.

Cheers surrounded Artemis and she opened her eyes, keeping them away from the gore on the stage in front of her as she clapped politely along with the other hunters. Dick was looking at her again, and she didn’t meet his gaze; she knew he’d see something in her eyes that she didn’t want him seeing if she did.

The crowd began to disperse, and someone must have given the order for the hunters to be at ease, because the other hunters began to fall out of line. Artemis stepped away from the stage, immediately wrapping her arms around herself. The formalwear didn’t help much with the weather. And she was also pretty sure that she would fall apart if she let go.

“Artemis?” She turned to see Dick, an expression of concern on his face, one hand on her arm. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Fine,” she said. “Just, uh — haven’t seen a beheading before.” Artemis could taste bile in her throat; she was pretty sure she was going to throw up. _Oh god, not here_ —

“Me neither.” Dick let his hand fall. “Do you want to come over to my place? I could make hot chocolate—”

A gunshot rang across the city square, and both Artemis and Dick turned to the source. Artemis couldn’t see the shooter, but the shot had come from near the building Zatanna was in. Her stomach dropped, and she began running towards the noise. Dick followed her as she pushed through the crowd, which was screaming and running in the opposite direction.

In less than a minute, she could see the hunter at the base of the building, holding a musket and loading in another shot. He glanced up at Dick and Artemis as they approached. It wasn’t anyone Artemis recognized, though she could tell he was a little older than her, and probably one of the elites, since he had a gun. “Another witch,” he said, voice almost bright with excitement. He grinned wildly as he checked whether the gun was loaded properly. “A girl this time. Looks like the old man we just got, maybe she’s related? I heard her scream when his head hit the ground.”

Dick looked a little disgusted at his casual demeanour, and Artemis was glad he did, since it meant she could be upset and not look too out of place. “You can’t just shoot her,” he said. “Where even is she?”

The hunter pointed up, and Artemis couldn’t help a gasp. Zatanna was on a windowsill near the top of the building, clutching her bleeding arm and white-faced, visibly trembling. She was several windows over from where Artemis had left her, and closer to the stage; Artemis had to guess that her original spot hadn’t been close enough.

“ _God_ ,” said Dick. “You can’t just shoot her. She needs a trial—”

“Nah,” said the hunter. He lifted the gun and fired another shot before Artemis or Dick could move. This one missed, shattering the window next to Zatanna, who flinched away from the shards of glass.

“ _Stop_!” shouted Artemis, diving for the hunter before he could load the gun again and colliding hard with him. They scrambled for control for a moment and Artemis managed to get in one hit to his face, causing them both to fall. He hit the ground and Artemis, on top of him, pinned his arms as Dick took the gun. He glared up at her.

“Fucking bitch,” he said. “She’s just a witch. Why do you even care?”

“She needs a trial,” said Dick, disgust evident in his voice. He tossed the gun away and helped Artemis up. A crowd had gathered during the fight, and a few people were glaring at the hunter who’d shot at Zatanna. A small part of Artemis thought that maybe there was some hope for humanity.

“ _Ekat em yawa_!” said Zatanna suddenly, voice layered with magic, and everyone glanced up, as if they’d forgotten she was there. Bright light gathered around her, and when it faded, she was gone. Artemis let out a tiny breath of relief.

“You fucking morons!” said the hunter, who was on his feet again. He rubbed one hand over his jaw where a bruise was blossoming, and glared at Artemis. “Now she’s gone. Great job.” He grabbed the gun off the ground and stormed off.

Dick put one hand on Artemis’s shoulder as the crowds began to disperse again. “Are you okay?” he asked, and she nodded. “They’ll spend the next few weeks looking for that witch,” he added, glancing around the square. The hunter they’d encountered was talking to Artemis’s father. “Maybe you should get home.”

Artemis nodded. She needed to find Zatanna and figure out what the hell they were going to do to get her out.

* * *

When Artemis got back to the barn, it was dark inside and nearly silent except for the faint sobbing noises coming from the bed in the loft. Artemis climbed up to it, staying quiet as she approached. Zatanna was lying on the bed under the covers, face buried in the pillow; Artemis sat down next to her and placed one hand on her shoulder.

“Zatanna?” she said softly, and the other girl turned to look at her. In the darkness, it was hard to see anything in detail, but she’d clearly been crying for a while, her face swollen and her eyes red.

“He’s dead,” she said, voice raw. “He raised me, he taught me magic, he loved me… and he’s _gone_.”

“I’m sorry,” said Artemis, because it was all she could say. This had never happened to her before. She’d thought, once, that what had happened with Jade or with her mother were nearly comparable, but now she knew better. Death was a unique kind of pain, and she’d feel it someday, but she hadn’t yet. And she was profoundly lucky for that.

Zatanna didn’t answer, just lay back down. After a long moment, Artemis took off her outer layers and got in next to her, wrapping her arms around Zatanna’s waist.

“I’m sorry,” she said again, softer, whispering the words into Zatanna’s hair. She didn’t expect a response this time, and didn’t get one, except Zatanna pulling her closer.

* * *

“We need to get you out,” said Artemis the next day. She’d stayed out in the barn that night, holding Zatanna as she’d cried, and while she hadn’t gotten very much sleep, she didn’t regret it. They were in Artemis’s kitchen; her parents were gone, both working to find the mysterious witch who’d been shot after the execution. The night before, Artemis had found out that Zatanna had fairly decent healing magic; she’d mostly fixed the wound in her arm, though it was still sore and needed time to fully recover.

“I’m not leaving without you,” said Zatanna from the other side of the kitchen table. And Artemis understood the gravity behind those words, and fought back the warm feeling in her chest. Not the time.

“I know.” And there was gravity in those words, too; Zatanna looked at her, mouth slightly open. Artemis knew that the other girl understood exactly what she’d offered: she would leave her home and everyone she knew for Zatanna. And she wouldn’t regret it.

“Okay,” said Zatanna after a long moment. “Then we have to steal a carriage. I can’t transport more than one person at once.”

“Fine.” It wouldn’t be a big deal, Artemis was fairly sure. She’d never stolen a vehicle before, but if anyone could get away with it, it was the daughter of the leader of the hunters. Of course, there was the matter of the woman who’d be by her side when she did it, but they’d cross that bridge when they got to it.

Zatanna stated down at her tea, and spoke into the mug. “Thank you,” she said, her voice soft and still raw from crying.

Artemis reached across the table and placed her hand over Zatanna’s. “I won’t leave you, okay?”

Zatanna looked up at her, eyes filling with water again. “Artemis—”

“Shh.” Artemis stood, moved around the table, and kissed her once, lightly. “I won’t leave you. You don’t have to say anything, okay?”

Zatanna closed her eyes, and nodded, leaning into Artemis’s embrace.

* * *

The next night, they left.

Artemis stole all the money she could carry, and layered clothes, and took her bow and as many arrows as she could fit into her quiver. Zatanna carried everything Artemis couldn’t fit on her own body as they made their way into the middle of town. It was just past three in the morning, and the streets were devoid of life, snow drifting slow and gentle through the air.

When they crossed the city square, Zatanna spared a glance at the empty space where the stage had been before looking away. Artemis winced and took the other girl’s hand. They were both wearing gloves, but the touch seemed to comfort Zatanna; after a moment she pulled away and ahead.

They made it to the hunter headquarters on the outer edge of the town without meeting anyone. It was built into the fence surrounding the town, so the only person they’d have to make it past was whoever was on duty at the front desk. Artemis had a plan for that, and it involved punching them in the face until they lost consciousness.

That was basically the whole plan.

When they got near the front doors, Zatanna crouched down to wait outside and Artemis went in alone. She wasn’t sure who was on duty, so she was ready for anything. Except, maybe—

“ _Dick_?”

Dick glanced up at her, seeming to shake himself out of nap. “Uh. Hi, Artemis? What are you doing here?”

“I — no, wait. Why are you on duty? I thought you only did sentry.”

“Usually.” He shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “I couldn’t sleep last night, so I took this shift off of Babs instead of staying up and not doing anything again.”

“Oh.” Artemis rocked back on her heels. She really didn’t want to punch Dick in the face. Had a strong aversion to the idea, actually. But—

“Why are you here?”

Artemis bit her lip. She hadn’t had a plan for this. Her plan had involved fists and violence. “I—”

“Artemis?”

She and Dick both glanced to the side to see Wally coming out of a small room off the main lobby, looking as if he’d just been roused from sleep. “I heard voices,” he continued. “Isn’t it, like, three in the morning?”

“Go back to bed, babe,” said Dick, and then immediately looked embarrassed at the nickname he’d let slip. Artemis grinned, already filing it away as something to make fun of Dick for — but then she remembered she was leaving. It was likely she’d never see Dick again. The smile slid off her face.

“Are you sleeping here?” she asked Wally, trying to buy herself time. Maybe if it took too long, Zatanna would come in. She had to know a spell to knock someone out.

“Just in the spare office,” said Wally, looking a little embarrassed. He glanced at Dick, who continued for him.

“I didn’t want to be alone,” he said. “So I asked Wally to come and stay here. Keep me company. He went to bed an hour ago or so.”

“I guess you guys aren’t fighting anymore, huh?” Artemis forced a half-smile onto her face. Wally swatted Dick’s arm, looking mock-irritated.

“You _told_ her?”

“ _No!_ ” said Dick indignantly. “She figured it out on her own.”

“And _you’re_ the one who was raised by the greatest detective in—”

The door opened, and they all turned in unison to see Zatanna walking in, eyes glowing with magic and hands raised to shoulder-level. Wally let out a shriek, grabbing onto Dick’s arm, and Artemis took an inadvertent step backwards. But Dick was just staring, eyes wide.

Zatanna opened her mouth, about to do a spell, before Dick said, “So that’s what’s been happening.” Everyone looked at him in surprise, and the glow in Zatanna’s eyes died as she lowered her arms.

“What?” said Artemis after a moment when Dick didn’t continue.

“It’s what was bothering you.” Dick shook his head, half-smiling. “Makes sense. I should’ve seen it.”

Zatanna looked at Artemis, her expression of confusion mirroring Artemis’s. “I don’t understand—” Zatanna began before Wally cut her off.

“You’re his daughter.”

Her mouth snapped closed and she managed a glare at Wally. Artemis forgot, for a moment, the others in the room and moved closer to Zatanna, wrapping her arm around the other girl’s shoulder.

“I was,” said Zatanna after a moment. “Then you killed him.”

Wally blinked at her, and an expression of pain crossed Dick’s face. Artemis realized that he was thinking of his own parents.

For almost a minute, there was silence, tension almost visible in the air. Artemis closed her eyes after a moment, waiting. For Dick to call in reinforcements, or call his father, or call _her_ father. Waiting for it to be over, for her life to end.

“Go.”

She opened her eyes and stared at Dick in shock. Beside her, Zatanna was tense as well. Dick’s mouth was set, regret in his eyes. The betrayal had to be weighing on him — and Artemis knew that this was a betrayal. It was. He was betraying everything he’d ever believed.

For her.

“Go,” he said again, and Wally nodded. He was clearly on the same page as his boyfriend.

“We’ll cover for you. Take a carriage, the horses are ready to go.”

Slowly, Artemis moved towards the door that led to the room where the carriages were kept. When she reached it, she turned and paused before pulling away from Zatanna and practically running across the room to throw her arms around Dick’s neck, burying her face in his shoulder and not holding back her tears.

He was trembling a little under her hands, and she tightened the hug, using her strength to say everything she couldn’t say aloud. _Thank you. Thank you. Your friendship meant everything to me. You are what I’ll miss most. I love you._

When she pulled away, he was crying a little as well. “Will you ever come back?” he asked, and Artemis closed her eyes. It wasn’t a solid _no_ , but it was close, and she felt him deflate a little when he realized it.

“I’ll try,” she said, and it was mostly a lie, and they both knew it. He smiled a little. They were more alike than she’d ever really understand, Artemis realized. If she’d had longer, she would have learned — but she didn’t have longer. She stepped away, hugged Wally quickly, and went back to the door. She slipped her hand into Zatanna’s, and looked back one last time before she left.

When she looked away for the last time, Dick was holding back his tears, one hand in a tight fist and the other holding Wally’s hand.

* * *

“Where are we going?” asked Zatanna when they were on the road. Artemis sat in the driver’s seat of the carriage, one hand on the reins and the other holding Zatanna’s. Artemis bit her lip, and looked into the darkened woods as she cast her memory back.

Almost five years ago, her sister had left. No one knew where she’d gone, just that she’d left for love. No one except Artemis.

Jade had come into Artemis’s room in the dead of night and woken her sister up. “Artemis,” she’d said, “I’m leaving.”

Artemis had sat up in bed, not tired in the slightest anymore. Her exhaustion was overshadowed by the fear she felt. “Where?”

“I’m going to the city,” Jade had said, eyes glittering. A bag was slung over her shoulder, and she looked ready to take on the world. “I’ll travel. With my daughter.”

“You don’t know it’ll be a girl,” Artemis had said.

“I have a good feeling.” Jade had leaned in and kissed Artemis’s cheek. “Promise me something, sister.” Artemis had nodded. “I’m taking the road southeast. Someday? Follow me. Come and find me. And I’ll be there for you, whatever you need. I promise.”

Artemis had nodded again, and pulled her sister into a hug. Jade had smiled at her, and when she was almost at the door, she’d turned back to her little sister. “Don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t,” she’d said, and Jade had smiled again. She’d watched Jade leave, and for a long time, she’d laid awake, knowing what the morning held — nothing but lies, and pain. And it had, but it had gotten better. And she’d nearly forgotten her promise to her sister.

But she hadn’t forgotten it entirely.

“The city,” she said. “We’re going to find my sister.”

Zatanna squeezed her hand, lightly, and dawn began to break, somewhere on the road ahead of them.


End file.
